By Mike SpiekerGRAND FORKS, N.D. (September 14, 2018) – The 25th anniversary season for the Buffalo Wild Wings NOSA Sprints came to a close Friday night at River Cities Speedway. Jade Hastings led 25 trips around the high-banked three-tenths mile bullring for his first win at the speedway in 2018. ​

Hastings took the lead from the pole position on lap one as fourth place starter, Blake Egeland, moved into second. Egeland held the runner-up position until 10th place starter, Mark Dobmeier, took the spot at the halfway point. Dobmeier caught Hastings in lapped traffic, but as soon as he got to Hastings, the caution flag waved.

Hastings took the high side on the double-file restart and held the lead over Dobmeier as the field charged into turn one. Two more cautions, including one that set up a green-white-checkered restart, gave Dobmeier golden opportunities to take the lead, but Hastings was just too strong.

Hastings held off River Cities’ and NOSA’s all-time wins leader to claim his second career win at the Bullring.

In the August 31st make-up feature, Jack Croaker led the first eight laps from the pole position, but engine troubles forced the driver of the 8-Ball into the infield. Austin Pierce inherited the race lead and enjoyed a comfortable gap over the rest of the field until Ty Hanten got upside down along the backstretch. Hanten was okay.

Pierce ran relatively unchallenged until the closing laps when the hard-charging Jade Hastings placed a bid for the lead. Hastings pulled alongside Pierce in turns one and two on the final lap, but Pierce had the momentum on the high side of the speedway. Hastings gave it one last shot in the final set of corners, but Pierce held on to beat him to the checkers. The win was an emotional one for Pierce, who’s grandfather passed away earlier that day. It was Pierce’s first RCS win of the 2018 season.